The International Awards for Powered Access 2024 (IAPAs) held on the evening of March 14 at the Scandic Hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark, showcased excellence, safety, sustainability, and innovation within the powered access sector. Organised jointly by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) and Access International Magazine, the event gathered over 420 attendees from across the industry to recognise outstanding achievements across various categories.
Powered access equipment rental companies on the island of Ireland will be required to achieve an internationally-recognised quality standard as a condition of membership of the international organisation for operators of mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs), in a drive to improve safety and quality.
IPAF announced the extension of its online training to the Chinese market as delegates gathered in Shanghai for the International Rental Conference Asia and the Apex Asia trade show.
The IPAF Asia Conference was held for the first time in Thailand with over 150 attendees to support the country’s developing market and IPAF’s growing membership in the region.
A new representative to cover mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan has been announced by IPAF, with Tim Mo set to take up the post from 1 August.
A new standard to help equipment rental companies meet safety requirements and comply with legislation and to assist them in consistently delivering excellent customer service is set for launch at IPAF’s Asia Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, 3-4 August.
A new EU Machinery Regulation has been introduced, which will replace the current EU Machinery Directive, has been published at the end of June, and it will enter into force during July, and IPAF has informed its members to be aware of the changes.
Places are booking fast for IPAF Elevation UK, which will mark the federation’s 40th anniversary at The Belfry Hotel & Resort in the West Midlands, on 16 & 17 November.
In 2022, both the European and US MEWP rental markets boomed, though rental and utilisation rates have yet to return to levels seen in 2019 amid uncertainty around high inflation and ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to the latest IPAF/Ducker report.
Attendees at the IPAF Summit 2023, held in Berlin, Germany, on 20 April, enjoyed presentations on the theme “The Future of Powered Access: Dynamic, Digital, Diverse”.
Despite incident reporting increasing over the past year, the fatality rates of the most common types of accidents have declined, according to IPAF’s Global Safety Report.
A free webinar has been created to mark the publication of this year’s IPAF Rental Market Reports, compiled exclusively for IPAF by research specialist Ducker.
A new representative to assist the IPAF’s Swiss members has been appointed, with Roger Grossniklaus taking up the post as Switzerland Regional Manager in June.
A global safety campaign pointing out risks of working at height in the vicinity of power lines will be among the messages promoted by IPAF at the APEX event on 6-8 June.
IPAF has agreed an official memorandum of understanding committing to closer co-operation in the realm of work at height safety with the Korea Crane Association.
A promising future lies ahead for members of IPAF Switzerland, which celebrates its 18th birthday this year with announcements on key improvements to its quality MEWP training programme, including updates to courses, digitalisation of delivery and the ePAL mobile app that already has more than 2,000 daily Swiss users.
Members and friends of IPAF are invited to share their industry memories, featuring favourite moments, innovations, and influential people from the past four decades,
as part of the federation’s 40th anniversary celebrations.
The winners of the 2023 International Awards for Powered Access (IAPAs) have been announced at a gala ceremony on 20 April at the H4 Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz, the first time the celebratory event has been held in Germany’s capital. The host location for the 2024 IPAF Summit & IAPAs event was announced as Copenhagen, Denmark.
IPAF representatives will attend Dansk Liftmesse 2023, the first expo focused solely on MEWPs in Denmark, which will be held in Slagelse near Copenhagen on 11-12 May.
Book now to reserve a place at the annual IPAF ELEVANDO España event, which will be hosted at the Hotel Abba Euskalduna in Bilbao in the Basque region on 25-26 April.
The IPAF Summit & IAPAs 2023 in Berlin, Germany, on 20 April, are a complete sell-out for the second year running, following a two-year hiatus in physical events during the pandemic. Site visit and networking reception details have also been announced.
CRUSHING CAN KILL - STAY ALERT, STAY ALIVE
Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) are often used to carry out work in areas where there are risks of crushing or entrapment to the platform occupants. Any activity involving MEWPs must be planned and properly managed. Failure to do so can result in injury or death of the platform occupants.
